Hooker Harvey’s

[Fun For All]

I think that's about right. I remember walking to a Leaf game with a buddy in the 90's after parking in the Jarvis area. We obviously didn't look like cops and a girl came up to us and offered to blow us both for $100. We weren't exactly hobby partners and our wives knew each other so we passed. But it was an interesting, and memorable, proposition.

Sounds like a good offer?

 

[unassuming]

I think that's about right. I remember walking to a Leaf game with a buddy in the 90's after parking in the Jarvis area. We obviously didn't look like cops and a girl came up to us and offered to blow us both for $100. ....

My buddy and I were cruising the track one Sat. night , one SW takes a look at me and says to me "Cop!, cop!

 

[dchoye]

There was a lot of sex peep and video shops on Yonge St DT before the internet too.

 

[anon1]

They have their own Wiki page.

Hooker Harvey's - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

.

 

[anonemouse]

Loooonnnnnng before craigslist, there was NOW Magazine's escort ads starting from the back pages.

Used to have to go down to pay for ads in person on Danforth. (I had an 'adult' business investment)

Later, more and more mainstreet newspapers started carrying what were known as "Business Personals". The Toronto Sun was quite strong and made a shitload of money on them at teh time which saved them from bankruptcy.

This all started in the mid-90's.

Last 90's it was Now and Eye magazines that had all the ads. I'm sure it was the bulk of their revenue unless clubs paid them to promote their concert listings.

 

[unassuming]

Last 90's it was Now and Eye magazines that had all the ads.

I brought in a Now to work back in the mid 80's, a co worker never saw one before, told her it was a new mag about local happenings in culture and entertainment, later that day I caught her looking at the ads in the back, LOL!

 

[opieshuffle]

I can tell you that in the 90s a printer I worked with made all the "underground" papers... listings that would make Now and Eye blush!
The kink / swinger / alternative communities. I was forever changed after reading a few ads!

OP

 

[mandrill]

They have their own Wiki page.

Hooker Harvey's - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

.

Amazing!!!

Shame there are so many inaccuracies in the article!!

 

[Boss Nass]

I remember the 'track,' Yonge, Isabella, Church, and Gloucester. It was like a buffet.

 

[southpaw]

I remember the 'track,' Yonge, Isabella, Church, and Gloucester. It was like a buffet.

An overpriced buffet.

 

[JackBurton]

I’ve always been confused about threads of hooker Harvey’s? I’m too young to know the basis of these stories:

was the place littered with working girls? Did you pick them up in your car and drive off or were they turning tricks in an alley?

always wanted to know

 

[peeler_feeler]

I’ve always been confused about threads of hooker Harvey’s? I’m too young to know the basis of these stories:

was the place littered with working girls? Did you pick them up in your car and drive off or were they turning tricks in an alley?

always wanted to know

Yes picked them up in car. One girl used to have a great private underground parking spot we used many times.

I was young and dumb and stopped the street scene after getting busted. I got arrested by undercover sting operation in the Lakeshore /Parklawn motel strip before the condo redeveloped in that area. Thankfully the judge discharged me and only gave me a $200 fine to pay fine to the salvation army.

 

[unassuming]

Yes picked them up in car. One girl used to have a great private underground parking spot we used many times.

I was young and dumb and stopped the street scene after getting busted. I got arrested by undercover sting operation in the Lakeshore /Parklawn motel strip before the condo redeveloped in that area. Thankfully the judge discharged me and only gave me a $200 fine to pay fine to the salvation army.

One night, I picked up a SW at the track, when we got to hotel room, we were sitting on bed for some preamble chat when she said "Have you ever been with a working girl before?", I thought what an odd term to use, I immediately thought she was a cop and started to panic and said "You're a cop?, please don't arrest me, please don't!" , She started to reassure me that she wasn't a cop and said "If I'm a cop, would I do this?". She then opened up her blouse and placed my hand on her breast, I calmed down and we had a good time, repeated with her a few times. LOL

 

[anon1]

12 d. weergaven · 1 d. reacties | (repost) Located at 278 Jarvis St, Toronto, is Harvey’s. Founded in 1959, Harvey’s is a Canadian burger chain with over 250 locations across Canada. They were the first to flame-grill burgers to order and allow customers to add as many toppings—lettuce, pickles, tomatoes, cheeses, and sauces—as they liked, free of charge. 🍔 Founders George Sukornyk and Rick Mauran originally thought to call the chain Humphrey’s, which was inspired by the Henry’s Hamburgers chain that was already successful in the United States at the time. 🍔 Flipping through the classified section of the Toronto Telegram, they found John Harvey Motors at 2300 Danforth Avenue, also known as Harvey’s. The dealership on the southeast corner of the intersection with Patricia Dr. was closing to make way for a gas station, and the sign was up for grabs. 🍔 He bought and installed the sign at the first Harvey’s location when it opened on April 1, 1959, at the southeast corner of Yonge Street and Observatory Lane in Richmond Hill, Ontario, on land purchased from the owner of a bankrupt Dairy Queen. 🍔 Affectionately referred to by locals as “Hooker Harvey’s“, this location on the northwest corner of Jarvis and Gerrard, has long held the reputation as the hang-out of choice for sex workers in the area. Since the 60s, the Jarvis Street corridor was a well-known stroll for sex workers, but over the years, a number of factors, including increased construction, and gentrification, drastically changed what many refer to “Toronto’s unofficial red-light district.” There is currently a proposal to redevelop this corner. Hooker Harvey’s is so famous, it has its Facebook, Twitter and Instagram page. 🍔 Did you know that Harvey’s is the second largest Canadian established restaurant chain in the country behind Tim Hortons, and the fourth largest burger chain in Canada Source: globalnews, blogto, urbantoronto.ca | Toronto Storefronts

(repost) Located at 278 Jarvis St, Toronto, is Harvey’s. Founded in 1959, Harvey’s is a Canadian burger chain with over 250 locations across Canada. They were the first to flame-grill burgers to...

www.facebook.com

 

[homer]

Such memories! Discovered the area totally by accident in the early 80's when I went to Ryerson. People will never know the rush of just walking up and down the streets and seeing the ladies who were available. There were all types, the classic street walkers, the student's, the amateurs just trying to make some money. Every night was different. My heart rate is going up just thinking about it. By the early 90's I am pretty certain the street scene was over. I am sure it's so much safer for everyone now, but I'll never forget the rush!

 

[smart_alek]

Was walking past this Toronto institution the other day and have a question for the older generation on here since I am Gen Z/millenial.

As the name suggests, this place was a popular intersection for street prostitution back in the day. I’m curious at what point did street hookers completely disappear due to the rise of the internet? Was is post 2010 or earlier, and at what point did it become more normal to see women from the internet than classified ads ?
Did anyone have any crazy stories from back I the day? As someone who never got to see that and never will, (at least not in Canada for sure)

Still had hookers around 2013ish. It's really the condos going up that ended it

 

[smart_alek]

Such memories! Discovered the area totally by accident in the early 80's when I went to Ryerson. People will never know the rush of just walking up and down the streets and seeing the ladies who were available. There were all types, the classic street walkers, the student's, the amateurs just trying to make some money. Every night was different. My heart rate is going up just thinking about it. By the early 90's I am pretty certain the street scene was over. I am sure it's so much safer for everyone now, but I'll never forget the rush!

Nope, wasn't over. Still had street workers there in the 2010s.

 

[pacman647]

Redzone (still up), was where I actually took the dive after years of browsing the back pages of NOW.
After a year of Redzone, I discovered some agencies moved online.